Heater for transportation units and the like



Dec. 1, 1942. w so 2,303,367

HEATER FOR TRANSPORTATION UNITS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 25, 1941 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 1, 1942.

HEKTER FOR R. J. WILSON Filed Jan. 23, 1941 TRANSPORTATION UNITS AND THELIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 943- R. .1. WILSON ,33,;07

HEATER FOR TRANSPQRTATION UNITS AND THE Filed Jan. 23, 1941 sSheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 1,1942

Robert]; Wilson, Milwaukee, Wis}, sin er a.

Western Metal Specialty Company, lmlwaukee,

Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin 7 Application January 23, 1941, SerialNo},fo' 7 5,568

, 10 Claims.

This invention relates to a gas burning stove I or heater and especiallyto a type thereof adapted for heating of the interior of transportationunits, such as railway cars, trucks, etc.

Important objects of the invention are to provide an improved heaterwhich will insure operation withminimum service requirements wheninstalled in a transportation unit, and which will operate with minimumdanger from fire hazard under conditions attendant to such use, such aswhen subject to severe jolts and shock, or even when completelydislodged from its normal operating position due to wreckage of thetransportation unit.

A further object is to provide control elements and an arrangementthereof which operate in the unit to prevent danger to the operator orattendant as, for example, when starting the unit in operation, oradjusting the heating capacity thereof.

Other objects, particularly when in combination with one or more of theobjects previously stated, reside in the provision of a unitary heaterdevice and housing structure having a self-contained fuel storage, andreadily accessible for operating adjustments and for replenishing thefuel supply.

- yet preventing unauthorized or dangerous adjustments or disturbance ordisassembly of the elements of the unit.

A further object is generally to simplify and improve the construction,arrangement and operation of heaters for one or more of the purposesmentioned, and still other objects will be apparent from thespecification.

The invention includes the construction and arrangement of parts asherein illustrated,-described and claimed and, since variousmodifications are contemplated, it will be understood that the inventionalso includes such modifications as are equivalent to the claims.

The same reference characters have been used for the designation of likeparts throughout, and in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a heater unitincorporating the invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the heater unit shownin Fig. 1, with the housing removed.

Figure 3 is the structure of the right of Fig. 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are, respectively, a sectional Fig. 2, viewed from 1bled unit of Fig. 1, some portions being removed and others broken away.

Figure 7 is an enlarged horizontal section of the unit of Fig. 1, takenapproximately along lines 'li of Fig. 1.

Figure 8 is a section of a control valve, taken mainly along line 8-8 ofFig. 3.

The heater unit of the drawings includes a housing or jacket l6, shownof sheet metal corrugated for increased strength, and mounted forsupport in spaced relation above a suitable base I l, by the means ofbars 12 which extend upright from the base. A fuel tank It is suitablefor containing liquidfuel and-gas under considerable pressure and islsupported and centered on base II and has -itsupper portion disposedwithin housing l. Base I l is adapted to rest on a floor, the surface ofwhich is shown at it. A burner device generally designated by referencenumber I1 is mounted-within the housing at an upper level thereof. Theupper end of housing It is I provided with a metallic grill 18 providingfor elevation and a top .view of a tank fitting and valve shown in Fig.2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged top-view of the assemfree upward movement ofheated air therethrough, and with a handle or bail is for bodily liftingthe unit. The unit may also be lifted by pivoted handles, such as 19a,19a fixed on the housing. Straps 20 are carried by the housing,

to facilitate anchorage of the assembled unit in a vertical position, asby the means of chains 2| engaging with straps 20 at the one end andpro-- viding snap hooks such as 20a for engaging other chains suitablyanchored to the walls or floor of the chamber to be heated.

During operation, air heated by burner device 11 rises through thetubular housing In to pass through grill I8, thus causing relativelycold air at a lower level to be drawn through the space between the fueltank l3 and the lower wall of the housing, the fuel tank l3 being ofless diameter than is housing Ill to provide an annular channel betweenthe tank periphery and the interior housing wall. Within the housing thefuel tank and operating mechanism are so disposed as to further promotechimney-like action to facilitate burner operation and to promote heatcirculation and distribution within the enclosure to be heated.

The heating unit of the drawings is adapted to operate on, for example,a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, contained in tank l3, which at normaltemperatures is liquid untilthe pressure within the tank drops to a'substantially predetermined level, when it changes to. gas. Onecommercially available fuel having such properties is generally known aspropane. Propane has the advantage for present purposes that it remainsin liquid state at ordinary temperatures when subject to fairly moderatepressures.

Tank II is provided with a threaded removable filler plug 22 positionedsomewhat below the top of the tank, whereby the tank is never completelyfilled with the liquid fuel, for reasons which will appear.

Fuel tank It may be of any suitable construction sufilcient to withstandthe internal pressure required to maintain the fuel in liquid form. Forthe fuel mentioned such pressure is about 250 gauge pounds at ordinarytemperatures. A gas outlet fitting or device 23 is provided at the topof the tank. As shown in Figs. 4, 5, the fitting includes a pressurerelief valve 24 of any suitable well-known type opening at apredetermined high pressure within the tank; a fusible relief plug 26opening at a predetermined high temperature controlled by the meltingtemperature of the plug material; a shut-off valve device 28 for themanual control of gas delivery to a burner supply pipe 25, and anothervalve device 30.

Shut-off valve 28 includes a valve piston 3| operative from amanuallever 86 by any suitable connections, and movable from avalve-openposition, indicated by the full lines in Fig. 5, to a valve-shutposition as shown in dotted lines. Valve device 80 includes a poppetplunger 39 alternatively movable to open or to close passage of gas fromthe tank I3 to a passageway 32 in which the valve piston 8| operates. Acompression spring 38 is disposed between the head of poppet valve 89and valve piston 8|, and another spring 36 operates between the valvepiston 3| and the valve housing. When the piston 8| is moved to aposition opening passage 32 to a passage 31 communicating with outletpipe 29 the pressure of spring 38 is not sufficient to maintain valve3!! closed against the pressure of the gas generated in tank l3, and gasthen flows through the two valves 30, 28 to the heater supply pipe 29;but when valve 28 is in closed position both springs 36, 36 operate tomaintain valve 3!! closed. whereby to maintain such pressure in tank [3as is required to maintain the fuel in liquid state, except for such gasas is formed in the top portion of the tank in building up andmaintaining the required pressure. The fuel tank pressure operating onvalve 30 is insufficient to cause piston 3| to move upwardly againstboth springs 36, 38, and accidental damage to valve operating lever 35or its connection with piston 3| results in both valves 28, 30 closingand remaining closed. During use the gas generates from the liquid asasoaso'r stantial degree from vertical position. Valve device lloperates as follows:

When the heater unit is in a vertical position. a ball 88 is maintainedby gravity in the center and lowest point of a conical depression II,whereby to move the stem of poppet valve 48 downwardly and thereby toopen the valve against the fast as it is used. When the heater is notbuming only enough gas is generated to maintain the required pressure.

Gas supplied to pipe 29 under pressure, as described, fiows upwardly andinto a pressure reducer device 43, which may be of any suitablewell-known type, the function of which is to reduce the gas pressurefrom the pressure supplied by the tank l3 to a relatively low pressuresuited to the burner device l1. Pressure reducer 43 is suitably fixedwith a support or brace bar 44 which is rigidly fixed with the frameunit l0, as by screws a, Fig. 6, whereby to support and locate thepressure reducer and, other parts connected therewith including theburner device H.

The outlet passage of the pressure reducer 43 leads into a valve device45, Fig. 2, which allows gas passage when the heater unit is in a normalvertical position, but which shuts off the flowof gas when the heaterunit is tipped to any subresistance of a spring II In any other thanvertical position of the unit the ball 63 is laterally displaced andspring ll closes the poppet valve to prevent passage of gas to burnersupply pipe 66.

When the heater is in normal vertical position, as stated, gas atreduced pressure from reducer 43 flows through the pipe 66 to a controlvalve device 56 which includes a valve 66 urged to closed position by aspring 64, the valve 68 controlling the fiow of gas to a pilot burner 86through an outlet channel 60, a manually operable shut-ofi valve 16 anda pipe 8|; and to two main burners l6, 11 each supplied through anoutlet channel 68 and a valve fitting ll, the main burners beingrespectively supplied through manually operable shut-oi! valves 82, 63.

An armature 66 fixed with the stem of the valve 58 may be retained by asolenoid 61 in a position to maintain the valve open against theresistance of the spring 64, but only when the pilot burner is burning,whereby to supply relatively hightemperature to a Junction ll of athermo-couple device connected in any suitable well-known manner toenergize the solenoid. When the pilot burner is extinguished thethermo-couple does not supply sufilcient current and the spring 84 thencloses valve 68; except that it may be manually opened, against theresistance of spring 64, by the means of a pushbutton having a stem .60which operates against the valve head, the pushbutton being normallyforced outwardly by a spring 68.

However, the pushbutton 65 is interlocked to prevent operation thereofwhen either of the main burners I6, 11 are supplied with gas and toprevent the main burners from receiving gas while the pushbutton isdepressed. Such interlock is as follows: The outlet 69 leading to themain burners may be manually opened or closed by a rotary valve 10,Figs. 3, 8, having an operating handle H fixed on the exposed stemthereof, the push button stem 65a operating through the valve stem. Thepushbutton stem 65a has an enlarged portion 65b adapted to engage with aslidable interference member 650 to prevent inward movement of thepushbutton when rotary valve 10 is in position for a port 10a thereof tocommunicate with the outlet channel 59, the member 650 then being forcedto interfering position by a cam member 65d. In a closed port positionof the rotary valve 10, rotated anticlockwise from the position of Fig.8, the interference member 65c will move outwardly to permit theoperation of the pushbutton 65. However, when the pushbutton is forcedinwardly in the closed position of valve Hi the enlarged portion 65bforces another interference member 65c into a recess 65 whereby toprevent operation of handle II for opening of valve 10 while thepushbutton 65 is depressed.

To initially light the heater unit, valve 10 must be in closed position,whereby to release the interlock interference member 650 and permitdepression of pushbutton 65, thereby to open valve 68 as described andmove the armature 66 substantially against the core of the-solenoid 61.Provided the valve .15 is open, gas may then fiow through outlet 68 tothe pilot burner 80, whichtained in a depressed position.

may be lighted while the push-rod 65 is main- In the depressed positionof the pushbutton the main burners cannot be supplied with gas, forreasons explained. Heat from the lighted pilot burner generates acurrent in the thermo-couple i8 suflicient to enersize solenoid 61 toretain the armature against the pressure of spring 64, and thepuslibutton may then be released and the pilot burner continues to burnto supply a certain amount of heat from the heater unit and to maintainvalve 68 open. Under such conditions, after the pushbutton is released,valve 10 may be rotated to an open-position to supply gas to the mainburners subject to individual control by the respective shut-off valves82, 83 but if, for any reason,

the burners become extinguished, whereby the thermo-couple junction 18cools off, the burners can only be started again by the initialpushbutton operation of the pilot burner, as described. The arrangementinsures that all gas released through the control valve device 56 willbe burned, because the supply is shut oil? when the pilot burner goesout, and the arrangement also prevents danger to the operator whenlighting the pilot burner, since only a. limited amount of gas can thenbe supplied and only to the pilot burner.

lighting the burners and controlling the heating effect thereof, wherebyto insure against gas leaks and against inoperative functioning of thevarious safety expedients and devices. The unitary construction of theheater substantially completely closed by the rigid housing makes it amatter of considerable difficulty to alter anything except the normaloperating adjustments unless more than the usual tools and appliancesare available. The various safety controls and devices are allcompletely safeguarded against any hazards to which the unit may besubjected during proper use, and protect the operator from any possiblecarelessness, as well as avoiding flre risks, so far as they might arisefrom the heater unit, even where the heater undergoes damages in a wreckof the transportation unit in which it is being used.

What is claimed is:

1. In a unitary heater the combination of a. base, a housing rigidlyfixed with the base and extending upwardly therefrom to provide an aircirculation inlet opening at a lowerlevel thereof and an outlet openingat an upper level, a fuel It will be noted that the combined operationof the thermo-couple device together with the interlock of Fig. 8 issuch as to provide a master or combined interlock preventing any supplyof gas to either of the main burners 16, 11 except after the pilotburner has been ignited, and while it continues to burn.

In the present example the burners are arranged to provide aconsiderable selection for heating effect of the heater unit. The pilotburner is of only limited heating efiect; one of the burners 16, TI isof intermediate effect and the other is of considerable effect; and thecombinations thus available provide for 'four selective heatingcapacities ranging from relatively small to comparatively very large.burners i6, 11 are of individually adjustable effect by means of thevalves 82, 83 to provide substantially any desired intermediate heatingeffect.

The wall of housing III is provided with an opening 89 which issufliciently large to provide easy operating access to all of thedescribed manually operable control mechanism of the unit. The housingopening isnormally closed by a door 90 hinged to the housing as at 9|,and provided with a hasp 92 and a pin 93 to maintain the door in closedposition during use of the heater. However, the limited size of thehousing opening,

and the unitary construction of the housing, tank,-

burners and controls, with all the parts subject to tamperinginaccessibly inside the housing, prevents such access to the parts aswould encourage or permit of unauthorized disassembly or adjustments.

A burner flame guard or protector includes a cylinder 95, mounted on themember M by arms such as 96 and laterally surrounding the burners, andalso includes a spaced conical deflector 91, the deflector preventingany down drafts from extinguishing the burners, and supplementing thehousing to such extent that the heater unit may, if desired, be usedwhere subject to considerable wind. The deflector 91 also preventslocalized heating of the grill 18.

It will be understood that it is not, ordinarily, desirable that any ofthe connections or devices storage container substantially within saidhousing and rigidly fixed therewith, a burner device within said housingand receiving fuel from said container, an adjustable heat controldevice enclosed by said housing and determinative of the heating effectof said burner device, said housing providing a lateral openingsuflicient for adjustment of said heat control device, and a closure forsaid opening, and a plurality of anchorage mem- Moreover, the

of the heater be disturbed or adjusted except for 75.

bers fixed with said housing at an upper level thereof and adapted foranchoring engagement with other members to prevent any considerablelateral displacement of the upper housing portions in at least onevertical plane.

2. In a unitary heater the combination of a base, a housing rigidlyfixed with the base and extending upwardly therefrom to provide an aircirculation inlet opening at a lower level thereof and an outlet openingat an upper level, a fuel storage container substantially within saidhousing and rigidly fixed therewith, a burner device within said housingand receiving fuel from said container, manually adjustable heat controldevices enclosed by said housing, safety means enclosed by said housingincluding a. device interrupting the supply of fuel from said containeruponmaterial displacement of said housing from a substantially verticaloperating position providing said upper and lower openings, and aplurality of anchorage members fixed with said housing at an upper levelthereof and adapted, for anchoring engagement with other members toprevent any considerable lateral displacement of the upper housingportions in at least one vertical plane.

3. In a heater for transportation units and the like the combination ofa base, a housing carried by said base and extending upwardly to providean air circulation inlet opening at a lower level and an outlet openingat an upper level, a container for gaseous fuel substantially withinsaid housing at a lower level thereof, a burner device within saidhousing at an upper level thereof, connections for supply of gas fromsaid container to said burner device including an adjustable heatcontrol device enclosed by said housing and determinative of the heatingeffect of said burner, said housing providing a lateral openingsuflicient for adjustment of said control device and a closure for saidopening, and a plurality of anchorage members fixed with said housing atan upper level thereof and adapted for anchoring engagement with othermembers to prevent any considerable lateral displacement of the upperhousing portions in at least one vertical plane.

4. In a heater for transportation units and the like the combination ofa base, a housing carried by said base and extending upwardly to providean air circulation inlet opening at a lower level and an outlet openingat an upper level, a container for gaseous fuel substantially withinsaid housing at a lower level thereof, a plurality of burners withinsaid housing including a pilot burner and a main burner, connections forthe supply of gas from said container selectively to one or both of saidburners including a plurality of adjustable valve devices within saidhousing and respectively for control of the different burners, controlmechanism within said housing including interlock means preventingsupply of gas to said main burner except when said pilot burner isignited, said housing providing a lateral opening sufiicient foradjustment of said valve devices and a closure for said opening, and aplurality of anchorage members fixed with said housing at an upper levelthereof and adapted for anchoring engagement with other members toprevent any considerable lateral displacement of the upper housingportions in at least one vertical plane.

5. In a heater for transportation units and the like the combination ofa base, a housing carried by said base and extending upwardly to providean air circulation inlet opening at a lower level and an outlet openingat an upper level, a container for gaseous fuel substantially withinsaid housing at a lower level thereof, a plurality of burners withinsaid housing including a pilot burner and a main burner, connections forthe supply of gas from said container selectively to one or both of saidburners including a plurality. of adjustable valve devices within saidhousing and respectively for control of the different burners, safetymeans enclosed by said housing including a device interrupting thesupply of gas from said container to both said burners upon materialdisplacement of said housing from a substantially vertical operatingposition providing said upper and lower openings, and a plurality ofanchorage members fixed with said housing at an upper level thereof andadapted for anchoring engagement with other members to prevent anyconsiderable lateral displacement of the upper housing portions in atleast one vertical plane.

6. In a heater for transportation units and the like the combination ofa base, a housing carried by said base and extending upwardly to providean air circulation inlet opening at a lower level and an outlet openingat an upper level, a container for gaseous fuel substantially withinsaid housing at a lower level thereof, a plurality of burners withinsaid housing including a pilot burner and a main burner, connections forthe supply of gas from said container selectively to one or both of saidburners including a plurality of adjustable valve devices within saidhousing and respectively for control of the different burners, controlmechanism within said housing including interlock means preventingsupply of gas to said main burner except when said pilot burner isignited, safety means enclosed by said housing including a deviceinterrupting the supply of gas from said container to both said burnersupon material displacement of said housing from a substantially verticaloperating position providing said upper and lower'openings, and aplurality of anchorage members fixed with said housing at an upper levelthereof and adapted for anchoring engagement with other members toprevent any considerable lateral displacement of the upper housingportions in at least one vertical plane.

7. In asheater for transportation units and the like the combination ofa base, a housing carried by said base and extending upwardly to providean air circulation inlet opening at a lower level and an outlet openingat an upper level, a container for gaseous fuel substantially withinsaid housing at a lower level thereof, a burner device within saidhousing at an upper level thereof, and connections within said housingfor the supply of gas from said container to said burner deviceincluding in the order recited an electrically operable valve device anda manually operable valve device, a thermo-couple device including aportion within said housing adapted to receive heat from said burnerdevice and connected with said electrically operable valve device tomaintain an open position thereof only when said burner device iignited, and a plurality of anchorage members fixed with said housing atan upper level thereof and adapted for anchoring engagement with othermembers to prevent any considerable lateral displacement of the upperhousing portions in at least one vertical plane.

8. In a heater for transportation units and the like the combination ofa base, a housing carried by said base and extending upwardly to providean air circulation inlet opening at a lower level and an outlet openingat an upper level, a container for gaseous fuel substantially withinsaid housing at a lower level thereof, a burner device within saidhousing at an upper level thereof, and connections within said housingfor the supply of gas from said container to said burner deviceincluding in the order recited an electrically operable valve device anda manually operable valve device, a thermo-couple device within saidhousing including a portion adapted to receive heat from said burnerdevice and connected with said electrically operable valve device tomaintain an open position thereof only when said burner device isignited, control mechanism within said housing including a devicepreventing supply of gas to said burner device upon materialdisplacement of said housing from a substantially vertical operatingposition providing said upper and lower openings, and a plurality ofanchorage members fixed with said housing at an upper level thereof andadapted for anchoring engagement with other members to prevent anyconsiderable lateral displacement of the upper housing portions in atleast one vertical plane.

9. In a heater for transportation units and the like the combination ofa base, a housing carried by said base and extending upwardly to providean air circulation inlet opening at a lower level and an outlet openingat an upper level, a container for gaseous fuel substantially withinsaid housing at a lower level thereof, a burner device within saidhousing at an upper level thereof, and connections within said housingfor supply of gas from said container to said burner including in theorder recited a pressure reducer device, a tip-over valve device, anelectrically operable valve device and a manually operable valve device,said tip-over valve device being adapted to close to prevent supply ofgas to said burner upon material displacement of said housing from asubstantially vertical position providing said upper and lower openings,a thermocouple device including a portion within said housing adapted toreceive heat from said burner and connected with said electricallyoperable valve device to maintain an open position thereof only whensaid burner is ignited, and a plurality of anchorage members fixed withsaid housing at an upper level thereof and adapted for anchoringengagement with other members to prevent any considerable lateraldisplacement of the upper housing portions in at least one verticalplane.

10. In a heater for transportation umts and the like the combination ofa base, a housing carried by said base and extending upwardly to providean air circulation inlet openingat a lower level and an outlet openingat an upper level, a container for gaseous fuel substantially withinsaid housing at a lower level thereof, a plurality of burners withinsaid housing including a pilot burner and a main burner, connections forthe supply of gas from said container to said burners including apressure reducer device, a tip-over valve device, a valve devicecontrolling gas supply to both said burners comprising electric meansfor maintaining open position thereof, and manual means for efiectingsaid open position, a manually operable valve individually controllinggas supply to said main burner, .a thermo-couple device including aportion within said housing positioned to receive heat from saidpilotburner and connected for said operation of said electrical means, andinterlock means interconnecting said manual means and said manuallyoperable valve for preventing an open position of said valveindividually controlling the main burner while said manual means is incertain positions thereof, said interlock and said thermo-couple devicetogether comprising a master interlock preventing supply of gas to saidmain burner except when said pilot burner is ignited.

ROBERT J. WILSON.

